z-library z-lib project Immediate Access

Northern Virginia Community College

Northern Virginia Community College’s (NOVA) Office of Academic Assessment offers faculty, students, and visitors a plethora of resources on assessment. With a “focus of implementing outcome-based evaluation processes for all instructional programs, administrative units, and campuses,” NOVA exhibits a dedication to linking assessment with learning to produce a culture of evidence.  A great deal of NOVA’s approach to assessment is culminated in the continuous “Assessment Loop.” The assessment loop begins with identifying student learning outcomes, which in turn guide curriculum mapping and selection of assessment methods. Each step in the assessment cycle links to additional resources and tips on how-to go about each step. Some of the resources available include: (1) timeline/procedures for documenting Student Learning Outcomes (SLO); (2) access to report data; (3) written SLOs for degree-awarding programs; (4) examples of assessment methods and how results are used to improve student learning; and (5) various faculty training workshops on integrating and using assessment in the classroom. In addition, programs and disciplines are reviewed on a regular basis and the evaluation reports are available as well as reports looking across programs.